1
as in counterfeits
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
experts declared that one of the museum's prized paintings was actually a fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frauds
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
a hidden-camera investigation revealed that the so-called psychic was a fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in forges
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pretends
to present a false appearance of
while running for class president, Dan was not above faking friendship with people just to get their votes
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in devises
to perform, make, or do without preparation
if you give me the gist of the plan, I can probably fake enough for the speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in evades
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement
the running back faked the defense by stepping to his left and then quickly cutting to the right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fakes
Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
McKenna is extremely shifty with the puck, blending shoulder fakes into his playmaking.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 4 May 2026
As news of the fakes reverberated around the art world, experts described the scheme as a classic of the genre — one that is far more prevalent than some in the industry would like to admit.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Hackers with your booking data can write convincing fakes that look urgent.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
McEnelly played defense the rest of the way, mixing in fakes where needed to keep Welsh at bay.
—Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Fernandes had been aware of the spread of the digital fakes for years.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Some firms have also invested more heavily in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to scale up efforts like text and image screening to better detect fakes and fraudsters.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Jenna Ushkowitz was a Spring Awakening costar of Lea Michele's when Ryan Murphy cast her to play the one-time goth Tina, who fakes a stutter to stand out at school.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Returning the favor Kitty did for her earlier in Season 3 by visiting her in New York during a turbulent time with her longtime boyfriend Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), Kitty’s older sister Lara Jean (Lana Condor) fakes norovirus to fly to Seoul and take care of Kitty post-Chuseok chaos.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
This isn’t a war where AI fakes fool everyone nor where detection tools catch everything.
—Mahsa Alimardani, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
As with any market, more money means more scammers, and fakes abound — this past fall Sotheby’s cancelled two memorabilia auctions over authenticity concerns.
—Julie Brener Davich, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Each time Ivy's owner, Ryan, draws nearer, the dog fakes him out and bounds away, tail wagging.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Ake fakes a core breach to get Braka off the ship, with the Klingarite reluctantly leaving.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Brunson fakes the swing to the right corner, blows past VJ Edgecombe, gets both feet into the paint, draws two defenders and finds OG Anunoby in the left corner.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Noun
Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
McKenna is extremely shifty with the puck, blending shoulder fakes into his playmaking.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 4 May 2026
As news of the fakes reverberated around the art world, experts described the scheme as a classic of the genre — one that is far more prevalent than some in the industry would like to admit.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Hackers with your booking data can write convincing fakes that look urgent.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
McEnelly played defense the rest of the way, mixing in fakes where needed to keep Welsh at bay.
—Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Fernandes had been aware of the spread of the digital fakes for years.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Some firms have also invested more heavily in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to scale up efforts like text and image screening to better detect fakes and fraudsters.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
The conflict escalates when Stoner fails Lomax’s protégé, Charles Walker, a student who fakes his seminar report and lacks basic knowledge.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Jenna Ushkowitz was a Spring Awakening costar of Lea Michele's when Ryan Murphy cast her to play the one-time goth Tina, who fakes a stutter to stand out at school.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Returning the favor Kitty did for her earlier in Season 3 by visiting her in New York during a turbulent time with her longtime boyfriend Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), Kitty’s older sister Lara Jean (Lana Condor) fakes norovirus to fly to Seoul and take care of Kitty post-Chuseok chaos.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
This isn’t a war where AI fakes fool everyone nor where detection tools catch everything.
—Mahsa Alimardani, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
As with any market, more money means more scammers, and fakes abound — this past fall Sotheby’s cancelled two memorabilia auctions over authenticity concerns.
—Julie Brener Davich, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Each time Ivy's owner, Ryan, draws nearer, the dog fakes him out and bounds away, tail wagging.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Ake fakes a core breach to get Braka off the ship, with the Klingarite reluctantly leaving.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Brunson fakes the swing to the right corner, blows past VJ Edgecombe, gets both feet into the paint, draws two defenders and finds OG Anunoby in the left corner.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fakes
Noun
-
Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
-
Four artworks recovered from the 1MDB scandal have gone on public view in Malaysia for the first time, offering a modest but pointed reminder of one of the largest financial frauds in modern history.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Wardley started out in white-collar boxing rather than the amateur scene that forges so many champions.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
-
The color forges a deep connection with nature that simultaneously relaxes and energizes.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But nobody pretends academics matter for college football players in 2026, and shortening the lull could maintain momentum and move the National Championship up a few weeks.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
There's also Bright White, which pretends to be Acetate, and definitely has the texture of something that wants to be organic.—
Florence Ion,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
In her work, Mackintosh devises scenarios that are bold and almost aggressively simplified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
-
As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At one point, Griffin appears to lunge at Manetta, who evades him by ducking behind a column on the platform.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
Mr Cobra evades most classification from there, blending free jazz, musique concrète, ’00s pop, house, industrial techno, and air horns, interlaced with dialogue snipped from Korean folk operas and experimental films.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fakes. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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